Speaking of storage, we must not forget that HTC one does not have any storage expansion.

Thus - what memory card should I get for my Xperia Z ?

Last first... I am using a Sandisk Ultra 64gb MicroSD card formatted Fat32 using Mac Utilities. No issues whatsoever.

I have an E17 but rarely use it. Sound of the Z unamped is similar to my WMZ but not up to iBasso DX100. That said, doesn't the E11 have a headphone input? If so just connect the headphone output to your E11. Haven't checked out if the Z has line out from its USB port yet.

Would people recommend a Fiio E7/E17 or E11 for this phone? I prefer the features of the E11 but if people recommend that the Wolfson DAC in the E7/E17 is significantly better then I'll buy one of them instead.

I'm currently using an E6 although I'm looking to upgrade. I quite highly recommend using Zeroinfinitys Pureaudio mod on XDA, although you should change the EQ settings if you install it (existing ones are way too 'beats-like' for me).

Frankly, as an owner of an Xperia Z, I can't see the value of investing in a DAC or amp for the Z. Just use quality low impedance IEMs or headphones and enjoy. I have an E17 which I rarely use and no way does it turn my Z into a DX100. You'd have to spend a lot more than the cost of any Fiio to do that.

If you're really seeking critical listening SQ, get a decent DAP that will drive your headphones if they need an amp. I'm really looking forward to getting my iBasso DX50. At $239 it looks a great buy.

I love my Z. The Walkman app and integration with Sony's Music Unlimited service is great. And the SQ is in my view better than iPhone etc but I concede it does need low impedance or sensitive IEMs.

I guess the DAC of the Fiio E17 would be pretty useless then. Definitely need some amping as I'm using 60 ohm headphones! I'll probably buy a Fiio E11, they're actually really cheap on aliexpress (60 dollars or so if my memory is correct)!

I see no point in using external amplification or dacs with phones, most of the top Android phones and the iPhones sound great. Any improvement you get from portable gear is slight at most with the headphones we normally use on the go.

Good to know that a phone that I'm interested in ATM (Sony Xperia ZR) probably has the same good DAC as the Z, plus a removable battery and marginally lesser specs.

Don't think the ZR is inferior at all tbh, it just has a worse front camera and its slightly thicker. Otherwise the internals are exactly the same (I think the screen difference is negligible, yeah it is lower res but at retina+ ppi no one can physically tell the difference).

As far as the DAC goes, they 100% have the same one (the same DAC which is also coincidentally in the nexus 4 and galaxy s4 lte). All have the same Qualcomm DAC. The Xperias benefit due to Sony's software enhancements (the Studio setting in the Walkman app is great for crossfeed for example) and I guess maybe slightly better quality hardware (not sure about this point though, perhaps someone with more knowledge could support this).

What do you and the rest of the guys think of the z ultra and of all the xperia Z line in terms of sound quality? Any of the alternatives i mentioned are better in terms of sound quality and as an overall experience?